Meth raid leads to five arrests

BARTONVILLE —- Five people were arrested after a raid Tuesday at a Bartonville home that led to the seizure of drugs and materials to make methamphetamine.

Police were responding to a call about a fight and when they arrived at 113 Roosevelt Ave., they found a man with a backpack walking away. When the man, identified as Michael W. Harris, 29, saw police, he threw down the backpack and kept walking, said Police Chief Brian Fengel.

Inside the pack were cocaine, heroin, meth, a scale, syringes and materials to make meth, the chief said. The officers, along with agents from the Peoria Multi-County Narcotics Enforcement Group and the state police meth response unit, then raided the Roosevelt Avenue address.

Harris, whose address was not available Wednesday, was booked on charges of participation on meth production, possession of meth-making materials and conspiracy to make meth.

The four people who lived at the house were also arrested. Robert W. Searle, 32, faces charges of aggravated participation in meth production, possession of meth-making materials, meth possession and conspiracy to make meth. He was also charged with two counts of battery.

Also booked into the Peoria County Jail were Jacob T. Schmidt, 26, and Melissa A. Cromie, 23. Both face charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The fifth person, Cassandra J. Whitman, 25, also of the Roosevelt Avenue address, was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Fengel said, because police learned she had been "shooting up methamphetamine using a concoction of lighter fluid and was not in good shape."

Fengel said she had not yet been booked on a charge related to the raid.

Andy Kravetz can be reached at 686-3283 or akravetz@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @andykravetz.